There are a number of baby bottles and pacifiers currently on the market. Oftentimes, especially in the first few months in a baby's life, a nursing woman is counseled that use of a pacifier or bottle would be unwise as the baby may develop “nipple confusion” from the pacifier/bottle and thereafter reject the woman's breast for nursing. Accordingly, there is a need for a nipple designed to minimize the risks of such nipple confusion.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,044,379 to Sabree describes a customized nipple using a mold to create a replica of the mother's breast. The nipple in Sabree suffers from a number of drawbacks in that a physical mold of the woman's breast is required. In practice, however, women would generally prefer that a physical mold not be required for making the nipple replica.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,686 to Griffin and U.S. Patent App. Pub No. 2008/0314776 to Cooke are further examples of customized nipples, yet both these examples also require a mold for forming the customized nipple.
Design Continuum proposed a customized nipple design in a socket wrench-like bottle that simulated the mother's breast. Such a design was criticized and never appeared to make it to market. The design suffered from drawbacks such as incompatibility with practical bottle designs.
There is a need for a nipple for baby products that is customized to the nursing woman's actual nipple and is formed is a noninvasive, efficient manner.